


We'll All End Up Alright

by grumpyhanson



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Dragon Slayer/Peppermint Creams, Dragons, M/M, Mute!Brian, Pining, Unrequited, Violence, in-universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-22 00:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7410889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumpyhanson/pseuds/grumpyhanson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the King tells of a dragon who has returned against its supposedly contractual leave, Dan decides to take matters into his own hands. And, well, Brian won't stand to let Dan get himself killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll All End Up Alright

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Game Grumps Big Bang on tumblr, hosted by @keenveins and @wispmotherr!!

All Dan could hear was the sound of full fledged battle. Screams of those injured echoed through the woods, but were overpowered by the loud clank of sword against armor and the grunts of those delivering the attacks. Knights from both sides were intermingled with one another, desperately trying to keep themselves alive, or kill the ones they were attacking. The ground was stained with blood from the fallen.

Dan ducked as a sword aimed for his head, snapping out of whatever state he had been in. One minute he and the other knights were conversing idly, minding their own business, and the next thing they knew, groups of soldiers from a neighboring kingdom flooded in from the trees. Everyone had quickly taken their stations and lucky for them, the opposing side had underestimated their size, but some were still taking some serious damage. 

The man who swung at him raised his sword again, ready for another attack. Dan raised his own in defense, but the attacker froze mid-swing, falling to the ground. Dan's head jerked upwards to have his eyes meet Brian's. He opened his mouth to thank his friend, but a blood curdling scream caught both of their attentions. Their heads snapped to the source of the scream, a man of the opposite side being stabbed straight in the gut then falling to the ground. 

A loud “retreat!” rang out and the enemies automatically pulled away, running back into the brush where they had came from. After a minute or so of nothing but silence as everyone waited skeptically for a possible second ambush, everyone slowly started sheathing their weapons. Dan's posture automatically relaxed, his shoulders slumping. He took a deep breath and put his own sword away before turning back to Brian, who was still standing next to him. 

“Thanks for saving my ass back there,” he breathed out, panting softly as to regain his breath and calm down his rapidly beating heart.

_ “Well I am instructed to protect you, I'm just doing my job. Plus, we all know you'd be dead without me, Sexbang,”  _ Brian signed back, and Dan could make out the faint outline of a smirk behind his mask.

Dan feigned hurt, clutching his chest dramatically, “I am offended. I thought you had more faith in me.”

Brian rolled his eyes in response then cocked his head toward where their camp was set up. Dan sighed and stretched out his back, groaning at the slight ache in his muscles.

“Yeah, let's go. We’re all exhausted. None of us planned for today,” Dan agreed to the silent question. He smiled and pat his friend on the back before heading off to follow some of the other knights. Most who were involved in the battle were heading back to the camp as those who had the evening shift started to arrive. Some stayed behind to mourn over the loss of friends, and deal with the corpses as well as those injured. Most fatalities had been from the other side, so most of them remained unscathed.

They moved to follow the other soldiers back to camp, Brian trailing right behind Dan on the thin path. The forest was quiet as they walked except for the faint cooing of owls and the crunching of leaves underneath their feet. Autumn was approaching which brought a chill to the evening, and the animals to become more scarce. Most of the soldiers assigned to stay for the next few weeks hoped the winter would be warm as they didn't want to spend their time patrolling in the freezing snow.

All soldiers who served under the King were required to serve a couple weeks out of the year at the boundaries of the kingdom, protecting it from random attacks. Small skirmishes like the one they just encountered weren't uncommon, but they were mainly in place to take care of those and warn everyone else in the event of a larger threat.

Despite being close with the King himself, both Dan and Brian were unable to escape this duty. Dan had complained about it, but knew that it would be unwise to do something that could possibly threaten the King’s reputation if someone found out he was playing favorites. Although Brian wasn't a knight, the King ordered that he go out as well to help protect Dan. Dan was the only thing he knew anyways, so it was good that they stuck together.

Around twenty minutes of walking later, they arrived to camp. There were rows of small, makeshift cabins and a larger cabin for the kitchen and eating area. People were rushing about, trying to tend to wounds and make food for the people in battle, while some were leaving to take over the night shift.

The knights Dan and Brian were following parted, and the two headed towards the opposite side of the camp where their cabin was placed. Because Brian tended to have a “temper” when it came to anyone but Dan, they were always given the cabin farthest from other people. Neither of them minded, they both liked having space compared to being stuck in the middle of everyone else.

Brian followed Dan into their cabin, watching Dan as he lit a candle and stripped himself of his armor.

Dan seemed to feel the gaze on him and he turned to Brian. “You doing alright?”

Brian nodded and quickly removed his own armor and mask before going to sit on the bed, still staring at Dan. Dan had only recently convinced Brian to take his mask off, if only when it was only the two of them. He would still wear it out in public, but took it off when they were alone. At first Brian seemed to despise taking it off, but Dan knew he was secretly thankful for the chance to breathe easier.

“You know, you'd think after all these years of knowing each other that I'd get used to you staring at me. But it's still unsettling,” Dan said.

“ _ Good to know that my talents have not ceased to affect you, I'd hate to lose my touch for making people uncomfortable,”  _ Brian signed back, smirking.

Dan scoffed. “Good to know you haven't lost your knack for being rude and annoying either.”

_ “I pride myself in my talents.” _

Dan rolled his eyes and placed himself onto his bed, pulling out a piece of paper and a quill. He began writing his letter but paused when he felt Brian's hand on his own.

He looked up at Brian questioningly to see the man scowling at him.

_ “What did I tell you before, Dan? It's not going to work out, so stop wasting your time. By time you even start to get anywhere we’ll just leave again. You know how it is with us. She isn't even from this kingdom. It won't work.” _

Dan frowned deeply and smacked Brian's hand away, “I have a good feeling about this one, Brian. You don't know what you're talking about.”

Brian's face fell in a way Dan had never seen before, he almost looked hurt, in a way. He nodded solemnly and turned around. Dan felt his chest tighten at the action, he never wanted to see that look on Brian's face again. It held a sadness that Dan would do anything to get rid of.

He watched as Brian signed a “ _ goodnight, Dan,”  _ before climbing into bed. Dan scowled and looked down at the blank piece of paper placed in his lap.

For longer than he can remember, Dan has always been after someone. He wrote to women constantly, always trying to hit on them in hopes of starting something. Despite coming off as just looking for a hook-up most of the time, he was starting to worry that it was becoming too late and he wouldn't ever get married.

The woman he was writing to now was the princess of one of the neighboring kingdoms, one that got along fairly well with his. He had only met her once or twice during trips with the King to the other kingdom. She was nice, very sweet in comparison to some of the other women he had dated. He had hoped that it would turn into something more serious, unlike all of his previous relationships. Things didn't seem to be going that way with how she was responding to him, but Dan had been determined to hold onto that last strand of hope.

The paper was crumpled and tossed across the room.

Dan pursed his lips in annoyance and stood up. He glanced outside to see that most lights in the camp were off, and everyone who had day shifts had either gone to bed or were hanging out with friends in the kitchen cabin. Neither he nor Brian had eaten anything for dinner, but they had been given lunch a few hours ago. They'd be fine until morning. Plus, Dan didn't really like the idea of waking up the ninja and risk being on his bad side for the next few hours.

He turned around and blew out the single candle that was still lit, plunging the single-room cabin into darkness. Dan slid off his pants and made his way back towards his bed, collapsing onto it and pulling the blanket over his body.

The next morning, Dan was awoken by Brian shaking his shoulders. He sat up quickly and Brian removed his hands from Dan.

“Bri-”

_ “They’re sending a group of us back home early, something about the King needing help. They also want to send some more people out early and there's not enough room for everyone. We have to go,”  _ Brian signed rapidly. The ninja was already dressed, his mask slipped back on.

Dan's eyes widened and he jumped out of bed, sliding on his clothes and armor, and running a hand through his unmanageable hair. “Why didn't they tell us yesterday?”

_ “Apparently they did, but because we didn't go dinner we didn't know. I only found out because I went to go get breakfast before I woke you up. We’re leaving in ten minutes,”  _ Brian shoved a plate of food into Dan’s lap.  _ “Eat” _

“Thanks, dude,” Dan said, shoving a bite of food into his mouth and stuffing his minimal amount of belongings into his bag as well as sliding on his armor.

Both of them moved rapidly, packing their clothes and other personal items as well as cleaning up the cabin for whoever was going to be using it next. They left with barely a minute to spare, running their way across camp to where everyone was getting ready to leave.

People were lined up in rows, all carrying their own bags and other belongings. A couple of people in the front were on horseback and counting off people, marking them off on a list. Brian and Dan made their way towards the front to where the people with horses were. Two stable hands handed them the reins of their own horses and they boosted themselves onto them.

Because they were friends of the King, they were allowed to ride horses to and from the borders, compared to most people who had to walk. It wasn't too much of a distance that it couldn't be covered easily in a day by walking, but horseback was greatly preferred over aching feet at the end of the day.

The others had already begun to start leaving so Dan quickly situated himself onto his horse and glanced to Brian, “You good?”

Brian nodded and kicked the horse lightly to get it moving, Dan following suit.

They rode side by side, just behind the group of knights who were leading everyone as everyone made their way back to the castle. People behind them were talking and laughing, joking around with each other to distract themselves from walking. Dan giggled at a joke he overheard and turned to Brian to tell it to him, but Brian was turned away. He was gazing intently into the forest, his eyebrows furrowed. Dan immediately stopped laughing, worry taking over. Brian looked troubled, and Dan was used to Brian being the one who always knew what to do, always knew exactly what he wanted. If something was troubling Brian, then something must have been really wrong.

“Brian? You okay?” Dan whispered, not wanting to catch the attention of too many people.

Brian whipped his head around to face Dan, the worried expression quickly morphing into a more neutral one.  _ “Yeah, why?” _

Dan shook his head, “Nevermind.” Brian raised an eyebrow questioningly, but dropped the subject.

They rode in silence the rest of the way, listening to people chattering and the crunch of horse hooves against the dead leaves.

A few hours later, and they arrived back to the castle. Everyone was lead through the marketplace as they made their way back to the castle to be dismissed. The occasional shop owner or townsperson would bow or salute their respect to the knights, making Dan glow with pride.

He had always been someone who put others before himself, and he always got a rush from helping other people out. It was one of the main reasons he had decided to become a knight, that and it had decent pay while providing food and shelter.

Dan smirked at the occasional lady who would bow, making them roll their eyes at him or scoff before turning away.

Despite being extremely selfless, he also had an extremely flirty side that never failed to express itself.

The market was fairly small so they made their way to the courtyard fairly quickly. Dan and Brian quickly jumped off their horses once they came to a stop. Dan gave his horse a quick kiss on the side of its head and rubbed its neck lightly before handing the reins to someone to lead his horse back to the stables.

Once the horses were all being lead away, the commander made some quick announcements, explaining that the men would be notified of when they were requested again and other normal business. He droned on for a few more minutes and Dan drifted off, so used to the speech because of how many times he's had to hear it

“The King is ordering a meeting tomorrow morning, so you better get your rest.”

Dan's ears perked up at that. The King rarely requested to speak to the knights alone, only if there was an emergency or people were being recruited, or something of that nature. He furrowed his eyebrows at the what the King speaking to them could be about, his mind running miles a minute.

The next thing he knew, they had all been dismissed and Dan blinked rapidly, his head clearing up again. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he missed everything that had been said after that statement. He glanced to Brian who was already looking at him.

“What did he say after he said that the King was requesting us all tomorrow? I missed it.”

Brian shook his head.  _ “Nothing really, he wouldn't give much info about it. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, I'm sure it's nothing. You know how the King is.” _

Dan nodded and pursed his lips, “Alright. You want to head inside or do you want to go out for a bit? I'm down for either.”

_ “Inside.” _

“Alright then,” Dan said, heading off into the castle with Brian following right behind him.

In all honesty, both Dan and Brian would've preferred to live in their own house on the outskirts of the market, but this was nice. They had their own separate rooms in the castle, right next to each other, that were on the far end. They had access to everything they needed without having to go to the market for food or goods, and they didn't have to travel far to hang out with their friends, the King and Queen.

Brian and Dan were both somewhat close with the King, and the Queen by extension, so it was easy for them to get nice accommodations. They weren't trying to exploit their friends, though, the King and Queen had offered and insisted once the two of them declined. Dan admired their kindness, but assumed that being able to make people happy was something that came automatically once you were in charge of so many people.

The castle hallways were abnormally quiet, the soft sound of their feet hitting the stone ground echoing off the high ceilings. The building was made mostly of stone and wood, with the occasional metal accent, and there were incredibly grand hallways and ballrooms and dining rooms that were always filled with bustling people. This lack of noise and chatter was slightly unsettling and Dan turned to Brian to ask about it, but saw a figure turn the corner and come rushing towards them.

“Ah! Sir Daniel! I’ve been waiting for you to arrive,” the servant came up to them, panting lightly. She couldn't have been much older than the King himself, and he was relatively young for ruling the kingdom.

“Hello, darling. It's nice to see you again. What did you need?” Dan questioned.

“Nice to see you, too! And you as well, Brian.” She ruffled through her bag and pulled out a letter, handing it to him, “This came for you while you were gone. I was told to deliver it to you as soon as you arrived back. And I also deliver personal apologies from the King himself. He said that he knows you'd probably wish to see him tonight, but I'm afraid he's busy. He did say that he'd be available after the speech tomorrow, though.”

Dan nodded and took the letter, “Alright, thank you. Uh, do you know what the speech is about?”

Her cheery attitude seemed to falter a bit, “I'm afraid I do, but I'm not permitted to say anything until it’s public knowledge, my apologies.”

“It's alright, I understand. You have a good night, okay?” Dan said, smiling softly.

“You too!” she responded before heading off towards where Dan and Brian had come from.

Dan glanced to Brian who was looking at him questioningly. Brian glanced down to the letter in Dan's hand then back to him, an eyebrow raised.

Dan sighed and shoved it into his bag. “I already know what it is. I don't want to read it right now. Let's just go back to our rooms, it's been a long day.”

Brian nodded in understanding and followed after Dan. They spent the next few minutes wandering their way through the cold hallways and up staircases.

Dan came to a stop at a medium sized wooden door and turned to Brian, “You want to come in for a bit? We can chill or something until dinner.”

_ "Sure,”  _ Brian signed and followed Dan into his room.

They both set their bags down and Dan flopped onto his bed, letting out a deep sigh. Although he hadn't walked back along with most other people, most of his lower body ached from sitting in the same position for so long. Brian slid off his mask and leant against the wall, staring at Dan curiously, his eyebrows furrowed. He grabbed Dan's bag and began ruffling through it, then pulled out the letter. Dan perked up at the noise and sat up to see Brian holding the letter. He groaned and laid back again, his arm thrown across his face.

“Go ahead,” he waved his hand dismissively. “I already know what it says.”

It's quiet for the next few minutes as Brian read the letter. Dan almost fell asleep but was shaken awake once he felt Brian sit on the bed next to him. He peeled his arm off his face and looked up at Brian, who was staring at him passively.

“ _ You’ll find the one eventually,” _ he signed.

Dan groaned and rubbed at his face,  **“** At this rate it doesn't seem like it.”

“ _ I promise it will happen. It will all be worth it in the end.”  _ Brian placed a hand on Dan's arm comfortingly.

Dan smiled up at Brian sadly and placed a hand over Brian’s. These sort of conversations between them were so rare, Brian rarely ever got deep and emotional with Dan. He always preferred to keep his emotions internal, he'd had been trained that way, after all. But, occasionally, there would be moments like this where Brian's built up emotions would slip through the stone wall he had constructed in his mind. Dan loved these moments, it meant Brian was that much closer to being open. Human, in a way.

He sat up and wrapped his arms around Brian’s neck, pulling him in tightly. Brian froze for a minute, not expecting the sudden amount of physical contact, but quickly snapped out of it and wrapped his arms around Dan's waist. They stayed like that for a minute or so before Dan pulled away carefully.

“I love you, Brian,” Dan said quietly, smiling fondly at him.

Brian nodded in acknowledgement, a smile tugging at his lips and a hint of something Dan didn't recognize in his eyes. He didn't say it back, but he didn't need to. Dan knew he loved him back.

Dan pulled away even further and slid off the bed, tugging off his shirt and tossing it across the room. He glanced back to Brian who was watching him attentively.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get some sleep, and you should too. I assume the King will want to see everyone fairly early in the morning. And get some food, too. You're probably hungry and I know that sometimes you forget to eat.”

Brian nodded and stood up as well, tugging his mask on as he left the room. Dan furrowed his eyebrows and sighed lightly. Brian had been acting slightly off recently, but Dan knew that he wouldn't open up about it unless it was absolutely necessary. He shook his head lightly and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. There wasn't much he could do to get the ninja to talk, so he just had to drop the subject until he was ready.

Dan grabbed a piece of bread and some dried meat from his bag and shoved it into his mouth. It was getting late and Dan didn't feel like going down to the kitchens to scavenge for food. He quickly devoured the food and shuffled out of his pants, climbing into bed and pulling the blanket tightly around his body.

The next morning, Dan was awoken abruptly by someone shaking him. He groaned quietly and bat the hand of the person away. It was quiet for the next couple seconds and Dan had almost fallen back asleep until he was roughly shoved off the bed. He hit the floor hard and yelped in pain, holding his head from where it had made contact with the floor. He quickly sat up and saw that Brian was the one who shoved him off the bed.

“What-”

“ _ You slept in, we're going to be late,”  _ Brian signed rapidly.

All of the color drained from Dan's face and he quickly scrambled to stand up. Brian tossed random clothing at Dan and he set to work messily sliding them on. He didn't even bother to try and tame his hair as he got ready, and his shoes weren't even put on correctly as Dan bolted out of the door, Brian hot on his heels.

They quickly ran through the halls and down flights of stairs to the courtyard. Knights were just finishing lining up as Brian and Dan slipped into the sea of everyone, hoping they went unnoticed. They barely had a minute to catch their breath before the King and Queen were announced and they walked out onto the raised platform. King Ross made his way across the platform, his signature smirk plastered on his face. Queen Holly followed after him, looking as gorgeous as always.

The two of them stop in the middle of the stage, King Ross going up to stand behind a podium, his wife to his side. King Ross cleared his throat and a chilling silence fell over the audience. Despite his childlike way of acting, he could also be very intimidating.

“I know that I do not call formal meetings like this very often, but I have some serious matters I need to discuss,” he began, then sighed lightly, like he dreaded what he was about to say. “First, I would like to thank you all for risking your lives to protect this kingdom. It is a very noble and honorable thing, and I have nothing but respect for you all.

“Now, to the thing I came out to talk to you all about. The dragon who lives up in the mountain has returned, despite our previous negotiations with him.” Hushed whispering erupted from the crowd, and King Ross frowned.

“We fear that he will not be as easy to appease as last time, and may quickly become hostile. We will be having sign-ups for a group of knights to be sent up there to hopefully negotiate another deal, or eliminate him for good. It is not mandatory as it is incredibly dangerous, but we are in desperate need of volunteers. That is all, you are dismissed.” The crowd immediately spread out and people ran out of the courtyard into the market and their homes.

The dragon was incredibly large and intimidating, and when he was first discovered there had been a few days of constant panic among the whole kingdom. They were able to negotiate a deal with him and had him leave, but now that he was back, that panic seemed to instantly reappear.

King Ross’ frown deepened as he watched everyone scatter, and he leaned over to a servant, whispering in her ear what Dan assumed to be an order to do something about the inevitable chaos. Dan pursed his lips and he glanced to the table that people were able to register, his mind moving at a pace faster than he could keep up with.

Brian seemed to register what was going through Dan's head before he could, and he shoved Dan slightly, making Dan's head whip around to face him. “ _ Are you kidding me?! You’ll die!” _

Dan doesn’t respond to him. He sighed softly and started to make his way to the table, but was roughly grabbed by the arm and tugged back. It caught him off guard so he stumbled backwards, falling onto his back. Dan’s eyes widened from the sudden movement and he groaned, his back hurt like hell now. Brian was glaring down at him, signing words too fast for Dan to even try to understand. He was about to start yelling at Brian for yanking him back when a loud voice makes them both freeze.

“What’s going on here?” the King questioned, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

Dan’s back still hurt like crazy but he scrambled to stand up and salute the King, Brian standing next to him and doing the same. “Nothing, sir,” Dan mumbled.

The King chuckled quietly and crossed his arms, “Oh drop the formalities, Dan. We’re all friends here, right?”

Both Dan and Brian relaxed slightly, their shoulders drooping. Dan smiled lightly, “Alright, Ross.”

Ross shook his head lightly and rolled his eyes. “Seriously, what was that about? You and I both know that Brian doesn’t get physical with you unless he absolutely has to.”

Brian glared at Dan and Dan laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I, uh, was going to sign up to help with the dragon. Brian didn’t seem too fond of that idea, though.”

“Dan… that’s really dangerous,” Ross’ faced morphed from one of amusement to one of deep concern. “There’s a really high chance he will become hostile. Although I can’t legally prevent you from signing up, I highly advise against it. Why do you even want to help out anyway? It’s not mandatory.”

Dan was about to say something when Brian began signing to Ross, albeit at a much slower pace. He was still learning how to understand sign language, but he was getting there.

Ross’ faced morphed again to one of anger, “What the hell, Dan? What’s with this sudden superiority complex of yours?”

Dan’s eyes widened and he took a step back, “Woah! I didn’t even say anything!”

“Yeah, but Brian is extremely observant and you’re not that good at hiding things. If this is about what I think it is, you better work through whatever you’ve got going through your head. This is nothing like you. I do trust you, though. Please, think your decision through as carefully as you can. I don’t want you getting hurt,” Ross’ voice dropped to a near whisper at the end, the sad look in his eyes made Dan’s chest ache.

Dan went to respond, but a voice behind them called out Ross’ name. Ross sighed and placed a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “Please, be careful.” 

Dan nodded solemnly as Ross left them, both Dan and Brian staring after him.

Brian moved to stand in front of Dan. He was scowling slightly, and Dan could tell that he wanted to talk about the subject, but seemed to have dropped it for now. “ _ Do you want to go back to our room?” _

Dan ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, “Nah, I’m actually going to head out for a bit. I'll be back later.”

Brian nodded in acknowledgement and Dan turned around, heading off towards the market. He paused right before he left the courtyard and took one last look at the registration table. He stared at it for a minute before sighing and turning back around.

The market was bustling as Dan made his way through it. Carts of goods were being wheeled in every direction, people were chatting loudly, shop owners were exclaiming out to try and get people to buy their products. Young kids dodged between shoppers, chasing each other and laughing. Dan smiled at their antics as he meandered his way through the crowds, wanting to get out of the chaos. It seemed that the news of the dragon hadn’t spread to everyone yet, but it would soon enough.

That made Dan frown. He hated seeing anyone scared or in pain, let alone a whole entire kingdom. Something inside him desired to be the one to take all the pain for himself, rather than have everyone suffer while he watched. He reached up to rub a hand at his face, and was suddenly shoved from behind. He stumbled forward a bit but was able to keep himself from falling face first onto the ground. Dan rolled his shoulder to ease the pain and glanced around to see who had shoved him, but couldn’t pick out a singular person in the sea of townspeople.

He jumped back as a cart rolled really close to his feet. Not wanting to sustain any more injuries, Dan made his way out of the market even faster than before. He quickly ducked and dodged through the people, and finally made it out. The crisp forest air quickly flooded over him, the smell of pine and earth making him smile.

As much as he loved being in the middle of everything and having tons of friends, Dan loved the forest. He loved the sense of tranquility that filled him even moments after stepping into it. The tall trees shaded him from the morning sun, the birds already beginning to chirp and the squirrels to scramble about. Dan sighed happily as he took in his surroundings, the tension from earlier starting to leave his body.

He began to wander through the trees, following a barely-there path he had taken many times before. A cool breeze drifted through the air and ruffled his clothes, making him shiver. Leaves crunched under his feet as he walked through the woods, stopping every few minutes to admire a plant or animal he saw.

Dan came upon a fallen tree and sat himself on it, leaning back to stretch and groaning lightly. He yawned and shifted so he was straddling the tree, his legs on either side of the trunk. He leant back and stared up at the trees, the leaves ruffled in the wind the sun seeped through the breaks in them, streaks of light dancing through the air. He sighed quietly and closed his eyes, letting his body relax against the tree, his muscles going slack.

Thoughts of the dragon came flooding through his mind and he tensed, frowning deeply. Dan didn't know what came over him this morning. Sure he was extremely selfless, but this seemed to come from somewhere different. It almost seemed like he needed to do this to prove something to himself, to everyone else. Surely his self pity hadn't stooped that low, right? Low enough to the point where he'd willingly risk his life for his self-image. Of course not, who was he kidding? He was the infamous Danny Sexbang. He had enough charm to make anyone swoon. That's what he wanted, right?

Dan groaned and covered his face with his hands. This was not the place to be stressing himself out like this.

Footsteps coming from his left caught Dan’s attention, his eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, noticing Brian coming towards him.

“What do you want?” The words came out a bit harsher than he meant and Brian raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”

_ “I came to check on you. You've been gone for a bit. And I know you well enough to know that you're probably wallowing in self pity right now. Fighting a damn dragon will not do your self esteem any good, it'll just get yourself killed,”  _ Brian signed and sat by Dan’s head. He played with a strand of Dan's hair as he gazed down at him sadly.

“I know, I'm sorry,” Dan said, his voice soft. He looked up and met Brian's eyes, and he felt his chest tighten at just how much emotion they held. Something about this moment felt strangely intimate, but that's not something Dan dared to dwell on.

“ _ Why do you even have the need to do such idiotic things just for a person? Like King Ross said, this is uncharacteristic, even for you.” _

“I don't know, man. I feel like I need to prove something to myself, though I don't know what. I feel like I've done nothing with my life. I'm almost in my 40s and I haven't settled down, which most people have by now. Hell, most people have kids by my age,” Dan rambled on, letting out more emotion than he was expecting.

Brian rubbed Dan's head. “ _ You know how much I hate getting emotional with you, but listen to me. You're not worth any less because you have yet to marry. You've done plenty of great things in your life. And if you don't ever end up marrying anyone, you'll always have me.” _

Dan smiled sadly and took one of Brian's hands in his, rubbing it fondly. Something that looked like sorrow flashed in Brian's eyes. Dan didn't push on it, as much as he wanted to. He respected Brian's boundaries. “Thanks, you're the best.”

Brian nodded in recognition and watched as Dan sat himself up, turning around so he was facing Brian.

“I'm going to head back, I'm getting kind of hungry. You want to come with me? We can go get something to eat in the kitchens.”

Brian nodded again in agreement and stood up, Dan following him. They walked side by side back to the castle, just listening to the sounds of nature as they walked. The town was a bit quieter now that people had calmed down from the morning rush, but people seemed to be more tense. Townspeople whispered to each other and a few parents were frantic, wanting to protect their children. News of the dragon must have gotten to them, but it seemed that they were taking it much better than King Ross had originally thought.

Dan and Brian made their way to the back of the castle and through a back door, slipping into the kitchen mostly undetected. The closed the door behind them quietly and the sweet smell of lunch wafted through the air, making Dan smile broadly.

One of the chefs noticed their entrance and scoffed, “You boys again? You're lucky I just finished making some late lunch for the royal couple, and there happens to be leftovers. Help yourself.”

Dan grinned and hugged her briefly, “I'm sorry if we cause you any inconvenience, you know how Brian can get. But thank you!”

Brian watched amusedly from the corner of the room as Dan bounced around the kitchen and greeted all of the other chefs, making idle conversation with them as he gathered up two plates of food.

Dan quickly threw the plates together and bounded back over to Brian and handing him one. He leant down so his mouth was level with Brian's ear, “I was able to persuade one of them to give us some sweet cakes, you're welcome.”

Brian’s eyes lit up in response and rolled his eyes at the mischievous smirk on Dan's face. Sometimes he was jealous of Dan's way with words, but he didn't particularly need to be considering the fact that they're never apart for more than a day. It's not like he could speak, anyways.

The two of them snuck back out the way they came, Dan stopping to thank the head chef again for letting them grab some food. They carried their plates in silence and stopped by a tree, sitting down and leaning their backs against it.

This was a spot that they ate at often as it was at a decent distance from the hustle and bustle of the castle, while still being able to listen to nature and chill out by themselves. Brian appreciated the fact that Dan was willing to let him have space from people when he needed it and didn't force him to be around anyone when he didn't want to. Dan didn't really count in that regard, he was almost a fifth limb at this point, something he couldn't rid of. He wouldn't, though, if he had the opportunity. He cared too much for Dan to get rid of him, despite how much he talked about it.

Their relationship was definitely a weird one, and rarely anyone fully understood when they tried to explain it. It was okay, though. No one really needed to understand.

“You okay, Bri? You looked like you spaced out there a for a second,” Dan said through a mouthful of food, cocking his head slightly.

He nodded and Dan raised an eyebrow questioningly. Dan was getting concerned about what was bothering the ninja, but tried his best to not pry. The spacing out and increased amount of emotion he was showing only fueled Dan's curiosity.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, listening to the sounds of birds mixed with the chatter coming from the castle. Once they finished, they stood up and brushed the dirt off of themselves.

Dan offered his empty hand to Brian’s, “I'll take the plates if you want. I have to go inside anyways, I think I'm gonna go relax for a bit, maybe take a nap or something.” Little did Brian know he was lying right through his teeth.

Brian nodded and handed his plate to Dan, staring after him as he walked back into the kitchen. The kitchen was nearly empty now, and Dan sighed quietly to himself. He made his way to the makeshift sink and washed the two plates before rinsing them and placing them on the counter. He left through the door on the wall opposite the one he came through, stepping into the castle halls.

People nodded their heads in salute as he wandered his way through them, heading up to his room. Dan smiled at the people he passed, greeting each of them as nicely as he could. He meandered his way through the people and up the stairs, down more hallways until he reached his room. He pushed open the wooden door carefully and shut it behind him, sighing heavily.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple pieces of bread he had stolen from lunch, wrapping them with some cloth and placing it on the dresser. He dropped to the floor and pulled out a basket from under his bed. The basket was filled with various fruits that he had saved from meals. They were there mostly for if he was hungry and didn’t feel like going to the dining hall, or if for some reason he left the castle for most of the day. He plucked a couple fruits out of the container and placed them onto the dresser next to the bread. The basket was shoved back under the bed and Dan grabbed an extra water carrier that was stashed next to it and hopped up. He gathered the items and placed them into a bag, then he sighed.

His hands came up to rub at his face and he groaned lightly. He couldn’t believe he was actually going through with this, and probably in an even worse way than he had originally planned. A few moments pass and Dan let his thoughts swirl around in his head. After a few minutes and his brain no clearer than it was before, Dan stood back up and grabbed his bag. Random articles of clothing and an extra pair of shoes were shoved into it and then it was tossed onto the bed. Dan ruffled through his drawers and pulled out a fairly heavy coat and slipped it on, making sure it was tight before sliding on his sword holster. He strode over to the wall next to his door where his sword was hanging and grabbed it, sliding it onto his back. The armor he was given was also hung up on the wall so he grabbed that too, putting it on over his jacket.

Dan leaned back, as much as he could with the metal armor, and stretched, groaning softly. The bag was snatched up and slung over his shoulder, and he headed across the room to the window. The sun was just beginning to set over the mountains, which meant that people were going to be going in for dinner soon. The perfect time to leave pretty much undetected.

Soft footsteps echoed outside his door and he froze, not wanting to be caught. Leaving through the castle would just get him caught and yelled at by Brian or the King and Queen, so Dan had to escape out his window. It was sort of a long way down, but he'd be fine.

Dan turned back to the window, unlocked it, and swung it open, grabbing it right before it hit the wall. He made sure to peer out onto the grass below to make sure it was clear of civilians before climbing out and gripping onto the stone wall. A wave of nausea overcame him as he accidentally glanced down again, but he forced it down, keeping his eyes level to the wall as he began to shimmy his way down. He dropped down once he was within a few feet from the ground, cringing at the slight ache in his ankles from the fall.

He straightened himself out and ran a hand through his hair. Dan began walking close to the castle wall as he made his way towards the outskirts of the castle, but paused.  _ Great. I'm not getting anywhere without a horse.  _ He chastised himself for not thoroughly thinking through his plan. Now he'd have to take a detour and go to the stables to grab his horse, risking being caught. Luckily it was getting dark enough that the stable hands should've already gone home, and all the horses should've been taken care of. Dan turned around and began creeping his way back where he came towards the stables.

A few minutes of carefully walking and dodging guards later, he arrived at the stables. Dan pushed the door open carefully, letting the warmth flood over him and rolling up his sleeves as much as he could. He sighed happily when he noticed that there was no one in sights, relieved that he wouldn’t have to explain himself and risk being scolded. He bounded over to his own horse and smiled at her, stroking her neck lightly.

“Hey, Lady. How’s my girl doing today? You ready to go for a ride?” he mumbled quietly, slipping into her stall. The horse was almost a snow white, the mane having hints of silver and blue. She had taken an immediate liking to Dan once he was introduced to her, and their bond grew quickly. The two of them always went on rides together, and Dan spent as much free time as he could with her.

The horse made no noise but nuzzled into her owner’s touch. Dan smiled softly and ran his hand up and down her back, checking her over to make sure she was taken care of for the day. Upon realizing that she was good to go, Dan quickly saddled her up, making sure everything was in place and wouldn’t slip off. Once she was geared up, Dan pushed the stall door back open with his hip and lead her out, careful not to make too much noise.

Chills ran up Dan’s spine as he heard footsteps coming towards him. He had been so careful to avoid being seen, he didn't want his plan to be ruined now. Both Dan and the stable hand froze once they made eye contact, the person’s eyes narrowing in suspicion. Dan raised a finger to his mouth to motion them to keep this interaction a secret. He then winked at them slyly and continued to lead his horse out of the barn. The stable hand just shook their head in response, rolling their eyes at his antics.

Dan smiled as he closed the barn door behind him, though a hint of worry still tugged at him. If they told anyone, Brian would sure find out. And if Brian found out, Dan was a dead man. He groaned as this and rubbed his face with his empty hand, the other still clutching onto Lady’s lead. She swished her tail softly and bumped her head against Dan’s shoulder. Dan chuckled and smiled up at her.

“Alright, alright. Let’s get going.” He held onto his bag with one hand and used the other to hoist himself up onto her. Once settled onto her, he nudged her slightly, and they were off.

They cantered through the outskirts of the castle quickly, Dan leading them through as many shortcuts as he could to lessen their time in the town. The reached the forest within a few minutes, and Dan slowed down the horse until they were just walking. He immediately relaxed once they were out of sight of the town, but his newfound bravery and boldness faltered and he tensed again.

What on Earth was he thinking? This was such an idiotic thing of him to do, yet he didn’t know why he felt such a strong urge to prove himself this way. Dan’s eyebrows furrowed at this thought. He had already made his decision, there wasn’t really any way he could go back now. He shook his head to clear his mind, but his blood ran cold upon hearing the sound of leaves crunching behind him. He pretended to ignore the sound and keeps himself facing forward, tensing as the footsteps rapidly caught up to him. The other person came so they were riding on Dan’s left, the taller one making a point not to make eye contact.

“I’m sorry,” Dan said in just above a whisper, barely audible. He glanced to Brian and felt his heart sting at the look in his friend’s eyes. “How’d you find me?”

He could see Brian’s lips curl up into a small smirk,  _ “You’ve always been predictable. That and the stable hand came to get me.” _

Dan forced out a laugh, but it faded quickly. “And I thought I could trust her.”

The two of them fell into silence as they rode, their horses riding next to each other. Brian's horse, a stallion named Shadow, was a dark black, which was perfect for Brian. The two horses somewhat got along, but they didn't spend much time together.

The quietness between Dan and Brian more tense than it had ever been, making Dan slightly uncomfortable. After a few minutes of riding and listening to the sounds of the forest and their own breathing, Dan sighed.

“Why did you come after me?”

_ “I had a feeling you’d do this despite my attempts to prevent you from doing it. I can’t let you get yourself killed, you need someone to save your ass in case you get hurt. Screw you, Sexbang, and whatever the hell is going on inside that little head of yours right now,” _ Brian signed, glaring daggers into Dan.

Dan scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Of course you’d want to screw me.”

Brian’s eyes widened minutely in fear but quickly narrowed, scowling at the younger man. Dan raised his eyebrows at the barely noticeable change, but decided not to mention it. The shorter man huffed and faced forward again for a moment before turning back to Dan, who was watching him curiously.

_ “Do you know where you’re going, at least?”  _ Brian took Dan’s silence and panicked look as a “no,” then rubbed at his face with a hand in annoyance. He made a noise that sounded similar to a growl, then glared at Dan, the stare sending chills down the his spine.

_ “You’re lucky I overheard people talking in the market about where the dragon’s cave is. You’re such an idiot sometimes, I swear.” _

“Shut up, Brian,” Dan groaned, making Brian grin in response.

The two fell into silence again as Brian took the lead, directing them to where he had overheard the dragon’s cave was located. Sounds of crickets and nocturnal animals filled the air alongside the sound of hooves against the ground as the evening quickly turned into night. Dan shivered as the cool night air bit at his skin, unconsciously pulling his jacket tighter around himself. Sleep began to tug at the back of his mind and he yawned, vaguely trying to get Brian’s attention as he did so.

“Wait, Bri, let’s stop for the night. I’m really tired and it’s getting dark. How much farther is it anyway?,” Dan’s voice interrupted the silence. Brian looked back at him and nodded, slowing his horse down to a stop alongside Dan’s own stopped horse.

_ "Just a bit, maybe another hour. Sleep will do us good, though. Did you bring blankets?” _ Brian signed, his head slightly coked to the side.

Dan’s eyes widened and Brian had to force himself to keep from punching his friend right then and there. The ninja took a deep breath to try and compose himself, trying to refrain from killing Dan here and now.

_ “You are actually the worst. I only brought one plus a tarp so we’ll have to share, unless you’d rather freeze to death,”  _ Brian scolded, making Dan pout.

“Fine,” he grumbled, hopping off his horse and trying the lead around a tree near some grass. There was a lack of water nearby, so Dan made a mental note to make sure both his and Brian’s horses got some water early in the morning.

Brian followed suit, trying his horse to the same tree as Dan did. He glanced to Dan who was looking down and shuffling his feet awkwardly, supposedly still embarrassed from not thinking ahead. He shook his head and began looking around for an okay place to sleep while Dan watched him curiously. Once Brian found a suitable patch of dry leaves under a fallen tree that was leaning against another, he glanced to Dan.

_ “Care to grab my stuff for me? This’ll work.” _

Dan nodded and hurriedly gathered his and Brian’s stuff, careful not to drop anything as he waddled over to the ninja. Brian snatched his own bag of out Dan’s hands and pulled out something that resembled a tarp, placing it onto the ground. Once that was down he pulled out the blanket, holding it up and glancing to Dan. The taller of the two raised his eyebrows questioningly. Brian scowled and gestured to the mat with his head, his hands too full to sign anything.

“Oh!” Dan’s eyes widened in realization and he blushed in embarrassment. He toed off his shoes and sat down on the mat, Brian following and sitting next to him, placing his own shoes next to Dan's. The ninja leant back and laid his back on the somewhat uncomfortable ground, the sheet not doing much to make them comfortable. He pulled the blanket over himself and lifted up a side, glancing to Dan.

Dan bit his lip slightly but slid in alongside his friend, their shoulders just barely touching. Due to the small size of the blanket it didn't fully cover him, and he shivered lightly. Brian took notice of the small movement and wrapped an arm around Dan, pulling him closer so his head was resting on Brian's chest, their legs slightly tangled.

Dan's face flushed at their position, but he mumbled a small “thanks,” into the man's chest, Brian just rolling his eyes in response as the two of them fell into a deep sleep.

The smell of food began to rouse Dan from his sleep, making his eyes flutter open and groan at the bright glare of the sun pouring through the leaves. The first thing he noticed other than the searing pain in his head was the lack of a body next to him. He shuffled up so he was resting on his elbows and glanced to his side, noticing that Brian was gone.

He glanced around and noticed Brian a couple yards away poking at a fire that seemed to be cooking their breakfast. Dan smiled slightly in appreciation and slid on his shoes and stood up, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders and shuffling over to his friend.

Brian glanced up upon hearing footsteps coming towards him, smiling lightly once he made eye contact with Dan.

“What are you making?” Dan asked, his voice thick and gravelly with sleep.

_ “Just some meat I grabbed from the market, there's also a couple rolls in that bag if you want one,” _ Brian signed quickly then went back to tending to the food.

Dan’s stomach rumbled at the thought of food and he snatched the bag off the ground, grabbing a roll then going to sit on a nearby log. He nibbled on it as he watched Brian cook. After a few minutes Brian stood up and placed the food onto two makeshift plates, handing one of them to Dan. Dan immediately took a bite of it, moaning happily at the taste.

“This tastes great, Brian. Thank you,” Dan mumbled between bites.

Brian rolled his eyes and signed a quick  _ “thank you,” _ before digging into his own food.

The two of them ate quickly then began packing up the camp, putting everything into their bags and hopping up onto their horses. Dan sat on top of his horse as Brian finished gathering everything, nervousness gnawing at the pit of his stomach. He watched Brian walk over and situate himself onto his own horse, the lump in his throat never going away.

Brian turned to Dan, his face full of concern,  _ “Are you sure about this? We can easily back out.” _

Dan tried to ignore the sudden wave of nausea as he nodded, determined, but still downright terrified.

The other man watched him for a moment as if studying his expression. Dan gave a shaky smile, hoping Brian didn’t realize just how unsure of his decision he was. Brian then frowned but nodded as well.

_ “Alright, let's get going then. We have a bit to go.” _

The two of them set off again, Brian leading them through the forest. The trees were beginning to get denser and Dan was getting worried that they’d have to leave their horses somewhere in order to travel on foot. Sunlight coming through the trees seemed to be getting slimmer, the denser trees allowing for less and less sunlight to seep through. A chill flooded through Dan at the eeriness of the situation, darkness paired with thick woods and the sounds of unknown animals didn’t go well together in his book.

Dan snapped out of his thoughts and perked up when he noticed Brian had begun slowing down, bringing his horse to a stop right before a fork in the pathway. Brian turned around and held up a hand to Dan, motioning him to stop as well.

_ “It’s just a bit further, but we should leave the horses here. You can’t maneuver them well up there.” _

“Sounds good, how much of a walk is it?” Dan said and hopped off his horse, handing the lead to Brian so he could tie them to a nearby tree.

_ "Just a mile or two.” _

A mile and a half of walking and endless “how much farther?”s later, the two of them finally reached the cave. Brian hoisted himself up and over a ledge and onto yet more rocks. He quickly righted himself on the surprisingly flat surface and bent down to help Dan up as well.

Dan brushed himself off and was about to ask a question when he was suddenly shoved against a rock, his head bumping the hard surface and a hand pressing forcefully to his mouth. He stared wide-eyed at Brian as the ninja kept him firmly held in place, his eyes glaring daggers into something that Dan couldn’t see from his position. Brian's hand pressed against his mouth was bordering on too firm, almost painful. The ninja’s other hand was pressed firmly against Dan's chest, their bodies almost completely pressed together. Dan began to blush at the close proximity, the hand on his chest searing against his clothed skin.

Brian then took a step back, glancing over to the side for one last time. Dan cocked his head in confusion, silently relieved that he had personal space again. He didn't dare dwell on the minuscule thought that he missed Brian's warm body up against his. Brian sighed.

_ “I thought I heard something and didn’t want to start anything before we were ready,” _ Brian signed quickly, his stance still tense, on edge. “ _ We should rest quickly. Going into something this dangerous while fatigued is a death sentence.” _

“Alright,” Dan said quietly. He plopped down onto the rock, sliding his sword off the holster and placing it next to him.

Brian sat down on Dan's other side, his own katana laying across his lap. His body was tense, eyes snapping to every tiny movement he saw. Dan frowned and placed a hand on his friend's knee, causing the ninja to flinch and grab Dan's wrist in a death grip. He grimaced at the pain and Brian released his wrist once he realized it was Dan. He gazed into Dan's eyes questioningly and Dan gave him a sympathetic look.

“We’ll be okay, try and relax a bit, please?”

Brian's shoulders slumped a bit and slid his katana off his lap. He brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms loosely around them.

Dan gave him a lopsided smile and rubbed the top of his head, causing Brian to scowl at him. Dan just rolled his eyes in response and copied Brian's position.

The two of them sat in silence for a bit until the deemed themselves rested enough. Brian nudged Dan and motioned for them two stand up. Dan stood up first and stuck out his hand to help Brian up.

“You okay?” Dan asked softly.

_ “I could ask you the same, Sexbang.” _

Dan chuckled and picked up his unsheathed sword off the ground, testing out its weight and giving a few practice swings away from his friend. Brian followed suit and took out his katana, cracking his back and rolling his shoulders. He made a gesture that Dan assumed translated to “come on,” and followed Brian as his led them along the stone ledge.

The two of them walked along the path for a bit until they came upon a cave. They paused briefly to stare at the cave in awe. Despite its unappealing exterior, the interior of the cave was absolutely gorgeous. Beams of light seeped through cracks in the rock, illuminating area just slightly. Stalagmites and stalactites jutted from the floor and ceiling, giving off the impression of teeth. Rocks and gems Dan had never seen before were laced into the rock, almost glowing when the sun happened to reflect off of them. Dan would probably stand there and admire it all day if he wasn't in danger of being eaten alive by a dragon.

After a brief moment of reveling in the beauty of it all, Brian turned to Dan, who nodded in agreement to the silent question. The two of them took a deep breath and split up, each of them creeping along the sides of the cave.

Dan ducked behind a rock and stuck out his head, keeping his sword drawn. Once his red fell upon the dragon, he felt his blood run cold, his face paling.

The beast was ginormous, far bigger than any creature Dan had laid his eyes upon in any of his adventures. The creature had emerald green scales that had hints of silver and blue laced in them, making them glimmer with the small rays of sunlight that seeped into the cave. It had wings that were folded against its back, and a strong tail that came to curl around its front, and spikes that decorated its spine.

It seemed to be sleeping, as its eyes were closed and it seemed to be letting out puffs of smoke through its nose with every breath. Dan shivered out of fear and felt that previous wave of nausea come crashing back over him. He nervously glanced to Brian who was on the other side of it. The ninja also had a look of fear on his face, his eyes widened and his face pale. As if he felt Dan's gaze on him, his eyes snapped up and met Dan's.

He raised his eyebrows and Dan gulped nervously, but nodded. Brian glanced to the dragon again, nodding softly.

Dan stood up from his crouched position and began creeping along the wall again. He quickly approached the dragon, who still seemed to be sleeping. He raised his sword but as soon as he took another step, he accidentally kicked a rock against the side of the cave, the sound echoing loudly.

The dragon’s eyes snapped open and Dan froze, his whole body going stiff.

_ Oh no. _

The dragon made a loud rumbling noise in the back of its throat and started to stand up. Dan tried to run around to its back in order to climb on. As soon as he was about to reach the dragon’s hind legs, he was suddenly slammed against the wall by the dragon’s tail, all of the air leaving his lungs. Dan then fell to the ground, gasping for breath and pain searing through his upper body. He could barely make out Brian’s face morphing from shock to pure anger before he blacked out.

After what seemed like seconds, Dan's eyes fluttered open and he groaned loudly in pain, tears stinging at his eyes. He glanced up to see Brian looking down at him, the ninja's strong hands gripping his face. He visibly relaxed once he saw Dan had opened his eyes, even though he looked like he was about to pass out again, his eyes lazy and unfocused.

Dan didn't even notice the blood covering Brian's hands and body or the head of the slain dragon on the other side of the cave before blacking out again.

Brian scowled once he felt Dan go limp again and he let go of the man carefully, leaning him back so his he was flat against the ground. He slipped an arm around Dan's back and the other behind his knees, carefully picking him up bridal style. The other would surely be mad about the blood on his clothes but Brian could deal with that for now.

He carried Dan outside the cave, careful to move him as little as possible. Brian didn't know much about medicine, but he knew Dan must've suffered some injuries from that blow despite his armor.

After some extremely gentle maneuvering and Brian almost dropping Dan on multiple occasions, he was finally able to get them down the mountain and onto his horse. Getting them onto an animal while holding onto Dan and needing to lead Dan's own horse proved to be extremely difficult. He had one arm holding Dan to his chest gently while the other had Lady’s lead looped around it and was holding onto the reins of his own horse. He set off as fast as he could in order to get Dan proper medical attention, not even thinking about the fact that he slayed a dragon on his own in a fit of rage.

Brian glanced down to Dan's sleeping form, feeling his chest tighten at the sight of Dan's injured body covered in blood. He knew he shouldn't have let Dan go through with this, he knew one of them was going to get hurt. His eyebrows furrowed as he felt guilt over his friend’s pain flow through him, shaking his head to clear his mind. He had other things to focus on right now.

A couple hours of riding as quick as possible and making sure Dan didn't slip out of his grasp later, and Brian finally made it back to the kingdom. He ditched Lady as soon has he got into the castle gates, knowing someone would take her back to the stables. People gazed at Brian curiously as he bolted through the courtyard. He yanked the reins back and his horse skidded to a stop as soon as he reached the castle doors. A dull pain surged up his legs as he jumped off the horse with Dan still clutched to his chest, though he didn't really register it through all of the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Dan had shifted in Brian's grasp once he landed so he readjusted his grip on his friend to carry him bridal style again. He took off again and ran down the hallways towards the hospital wing, his legs and chest burning from running but he didn't care. Once he reached the doors to the hospital he shoved them open using his back, causing them to fly open and the nurses to jump.

They stared at him in shock for not even half a second before two of them came rushing towards him, carefully lifting Dan out of Brian's arms and bringing him to a bed. Brian watched helplessly as they began checking him over.

Another nurse came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Can you point out to me what happened?”

Brian felt a wave of relief at the fact that he didn't have to explain to her that he didn’t,  _ couldn't,  _ talk. He motioned to the back of his head as well and his chest and upper back, signaling the points where he would most likely be injured.

The nurse nodded and began to lead him out of the room, causing him to briefly panic. She gave him a small sympathetic smile and pat him on his arm, “Don't worry. We’ll get you when he's awake.”

She then shut the door behind him, leaving him staring at the dark brown wood, not knowing whether or not his best friend would be okay.

The next time Dan woke up, his eyes widened at the sharp pain shooting through his chest. He tried to call out to someone, anyone, but all that came out was a groan, his eyes watering at the intense pain. He could barely make out a figure rushing towards him through his tears, trying his best not to cry out in pain.

He was able to make out the figure saying something along the lines of, “here, drink this,” before a disgusting liquid was shoved down his throat. The pungent taste almost made him throw up, but he choked it down, immediately feeling a tiny bit of relief.

After a couple minutes of him laying there and trying to even out his breathing, he was able to blink open his eyes again, gazing up at the nurse. She was very pretty, her golden hair pulled up into a bun and her lips stained a light pink.

He smiled sleepily up at her, pulling the most seductive smirk he could while being drugged up. “Why hello there, gorgeous.”

She scowled and lightly touched his chest, making him grimace. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now that you're here,” he purred, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“I'm serious. You've broken a couple ribs and have a mild concussion. You’ll be in serious pain for a couple weeks, but you should heal up alright. What happened to you?

He frowned and tried to sit up, only to have another flash of searing hot pain flare up his back and chest, making him lie back down.

“Tried to fight a dragon, got a couple nice hits in before it took me out,” he lied, trying to impress her with how “strong” and “brave” he was.

Her eyes widened, “Wow. You’re lucky your friend was there to get you out, you could’ve gotten killed.”

“Brian? Is he here? How long have I been out?” he questioned, no longer concerned with trying to flirt, the pain overtaking his need to fuel his ego.

“You’ve been asleep for a couple hours, he’s been worried sick. Hasn't left the hallway since he brought you here,” she said, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Dan's eyes widened slightly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “Can you send him in?”

She nodded and pat his arm lightly, “Of course.”

Once she had opened the door to tell Brian that Dan was awake, he bolted in, nearly knocking her over. Brian quickly sat down next to Dan, taking the man’s right hand in both of his.

Dan chuckled lightly at Brian's actions and squeezed Brian's hands lightly.

_ “Are you okay? They wouldn't let me in until you woke up…”  _ Brian signed, eyes fixed on Dan's.

“Yeah… the nurse said I broke a couple ribs but I should heal nicely in the next few weeks. That was one hell of a blow, huh?” Dan chuckled lightly, his face scrunching up slightly in pain.

Brian nodded, his eyes trailing over Dan’s body sadly, a small scowl showing through the mask.

Dan frowned at the look on his friend’s face and reached a hand up to cup Brian's cheek, turning him so they were eye to eye again. “Are  _ you _ okay? You just slayed a goddamn dragon on your own.”

“ _ The shock hasn't really settled in yet,” _ Brian signed out, eyes still raking over Dan's body sadly.

Dan scowled. “You've been kinda off the past few weeks, are you sure you're okay? I'm worried about you, Bri.”

_ “I'm fine. You’re the one who needs to be worried about right now.” _

“I already told you I’ll be fine. I know you’re not okay. Please talk to me, Brian,” Dan pleaded.

Brian closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not wanting to look at the sadness and desperation in Dan's eyes.

_ “I love you, Dan.” _

Dan tilted his head in confusion, “I kn-”

_ “Not like that. Well, yes, like that. But also in every other way imaginable. I love you in the way where I want to wake up next to you every morning and make you breakfast we can eat in bed. I love you in the way where I want nothing more than to kiss you and hug you and be the reason you love to live. I love you, Dan,”   _ Brian signed carefully, tears stinging his eyes at the pure, raw emotion he was expressing to Dan.

“I- I don't-” Dan stared at his friend in shock and confusion. Suddenly all of his friends actions from the past few weeks made sense. He still couldn't figure out the right words to say, his mouth opening and closing, but nothing came out.

He cleared his throat and grabbed Brian's hand, “I'm sorry, I- I don't feel the same way, I'm so sorry, Bri.”

Brian nodded sadly and pulled his hand away from Dan's, making Dan's heart feel like it was being crushed. He hated being the reason Brian felt so sad, the reason he's been suffering for this long.

_ “I know, it's okay. I've accepted it for this long that you'd never feel the same. I just have to get over it,”  _ Brian signed out, gaze focused on his lap.

“I don't want to be the reason you're suffering…” Dan croaked out, hating the sad look in his best friend’s eyes.

Brian glanced up and shook his head slightly,  _ “It's okay, it's not your fault I fell in love with you. I’ll be okay, I promise. Don't you worry about me.” _

Dan frowned and reached out to take Brian's hand again, rubbing his thumb against his friends knuckles. He opened his mouth to tell Brian he loved him, even if it wasn't in that way, but closed it, not wanting to cause Brian more pain that he already had.

Brian smiled sadly down at his friend, trying his best to smile and convince himself he’d get over it. He didn’t know how anyone could get over someone as amazing as Dan and had a newfound appreciation for any girl Dan had been with before. Dan’s hand squeezed Brian’s lightly, a poor attempt at being comforting.

They stared at each other, eyes stinging from held back tears and tight chests from repressed emotions. They’d be alright, even if it did take some time to get past this.


End file.
